Neumann Calls on U.S. Govt. to Intervene with Britain over Seizure of Exodus

July 24, 1947

New York (Jul. 23)

The United States Government was today called ##en by Dr. Emanuel Neumann, president of the Zionist Organization of America, ## “intervene immediately to call a halt to the criminal folly of the British Government” in relation to Palestine and prevent the recurrence of such incidents as the ## of the Exodus and the deportation of its passengers.

Labolling Britain’s action in the case of the blockade runner “piracy” and ## the Z.O.A. leader told a press conference here that “whoever gave the ##ders, I doubt whether the British people have grasped the enormity of the crime ##mitted by their government and the full implications of its act.” He also ##arget the British with having violated the U.N. General Assembly resolution calling ## all peoples and governments to maintain the peace during the investigations of the ## Nations Special Committee on Palestine and to refrain from “throats or use ## force.”Dr. Neumann accused the British Government of “following a course calculated ## inflame and madden the youth of Palestine, to drive them to despair and provoke ## into armed uprisings which will then serve as justification for further regressive measures and blood baths.”

Declaring that such a policy on the part of Britain at this time was not calculated to contribute to a calm study of the Palestine situation by the U.N. and UNSCOP, nor to effective recommendations for a permanent solution, Dr. Neumann urged ## U.S. to abandon its “neutral attitude” before the international tribunal and to ##tate its previously declared position. He insisted that UNSCOP could not arrive ## a realistic solution of the problem unless it knew and took into account the positions of the Big Five Powers.

The U.S. silence was being interpreted by some nations as tantamount to ## of its traditional pro-Zionist policy, he said, adding that failure to ## the U.S. attitude would mean “throwing the game to the adversaries.” He

He also expressed doubt that the British would be able to maintain their new policy of returning visaless immigrants to their port of embarkation because the “conscience of the world will cry out.” Regardless of the British policy, he said, the Zionist movement and Haganah would continue to bring refugees to the ##ly Land.

In a message to the American Zionist Emergency Council which is sponsoring ## rally tomorrow in Madison Square Park here to protest the violent apprehension of the Exodus, Frank Buxton, former member of the Anglo-American inquiry committee, appealed to Britain to “make the Mandate the keystone of the Palestine arch,” and referred to the deportation of the 4,500 visaless Jews as repudiation of the Balfour declaration. He also urged the admission of 100,000 Jews to Palestine.

Dr. Stephen S. Wise, president of the World Jewish Congress, yesterday sent messages of protest to the British and American governments condemning the “unprecedented and inhuman action” of the British authorities in sending back to France the Exodus refugees. In a cable to Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech-Jones, Dr. Wise termed the interception of the vessel “an act of piracy which will be condemned by all upright people throughout the world.” Simultaneously, in a telegram to Secretary of State Marshall, he called on the government to voice an official protest.